THE BEST TRANSACTION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Tie: Cartavi and DocuSign
DocuSign owns Cartavi, but they’re still separate companies, and both are still leaders in this category.
Cartavi
Cartavi is known for its ability to sign and send documents, but it does much more than that. The app has a feature called “Transaction Rooms,” which enables quick access and storage of documents to everyone involved in a transaction. It also ensures private storage for secure documents, and there are different permissions to dictate who in your network can see what. And because it is partnered with DocuSign, clients can electronically sign and send documents easily on a smartphone or tablet. Amy Smythe Harris, broker/owner of Urban Provisions Realtors in Houston and a technology instructor with the Houston Association of Realtors, says that many CRMs are being integrated into paperless transaction platforms, so Cartavi is definitely part of that trend.
Even though free accounts are available, they have a lot of limitations. They can only secure 1 GB of storage, have only three Transaction Rooms available, do not allow inbound or outbound faxing of documents, cannot achieve documents in a transaction room and do not integrate e-signature verification or DocuSign.
Price: Free, but the Basic bundle starts at $10 per month, or $99 per year. The Premium bundle is $20 per month, or $199 per year.
Where to buy: http://cartavi.com/plans/
DocuSign
DocuSign is a free app that allows users to sign documents on mobile devices, including PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, image files and faxes. It can convert just about any computing file – users can download files from data clouds, such as email servers, Google Docs and Dropbox. This allows for legally binding signing anywhere, and eliminates the need for printing, faxing, shipping and scanning paper documents. Signers can provide their documents via upload, and tags for signers can be made on each document for where to sign. Agents can set the sequence of signing and set reminders and expirations for each form.
Even though DocuSign is a client of Katie Lance Consulting, the owner, Katie Lance, says she used the program for a long time before they were a client. “The benefit is ease of use. It’s mobile – I can use it anywhere on any device – and the security features are second to none,” she says.
Matt Dollinger, founder and CEO of Gearbox Consulting, agrees. “They have an amazing broker product available, have started to integrate with many of the major website and CRM platforms out there and have set the standard with regards to security and ease of use,” he says.
Price: The first five documents are free. After that, it will cost 99 cents for a single, $4.95 for a five-pack and $9.90 for a 10-pack. Packages that range from $15 to $20 per month, depending on the number of users, are also available.
Where to buy: www.docusign.com/products-and-pricing
Runners Up: Dotloop, BackAgent
Dotloop
Dotloop simplifies the real estate process by consolidating all the various contracts and documents into a single, up-to-date document that is accessible online at any time. Whenever there are changes during negotiations or to specific terms of the deal, that one document is the only thing that needs to change – and it can all be done at no charge to the agents or clients. “With its unique approach to organizing transactions into ‘loops,’ this online service makes it easy for agents and customers to get business done,” says Seth Price, vice president of sales and marketing at Placester.com, a company that launches mobile-ready real estate websites.
Price: Dotloop has free accounts, and pricing is based on the size of your organization and starts at $30 per month.
Where to buy: www.dotloop.com/pricing
BackAgent
This is a personal favorite of Smythe Harris’ because of the ease of use for brokers and agents. “The visual display is beautiful,” she says. “I can load in my documents, review agents documents, run agent commission reports, put prospects in and authorize emails straight from the app to the title company. I personally like that it was developed by Realtors that understand what we need and they are also willing to implement new things to the system.”
Price: Ranges from $50 per month to $500 per month based on the plan you pick.
Where to buy: www.backagent.com
THE BEST CRM
Winner: Contactually
Contactually
For the second year in a row, Contactually is the winner, mainly because it’s mobile. “It plugs into websites and marketing solutions and acts as an information conduit for both,” says Nobu Hata, director of digital engagement for the National Association of Realtors. It’s also a favorite of Smythe Harris. “It allows me to see daily reminders on who I need to follow up with, and helps me see the progress of the relationship,” she says. “It also has email templates that I can send out to my contacts and article sharing. The feature I like the best is the Intro Maker, which allows me to introduce other people in my network to each other.”
The program has a free 30-day trial, but Smythe Harris likes the social integration aspect of the small business membership for $35.99 per month.
Runner Up: Follow Up Boss
Follow Up Boss
“Through our thousands of customers, we have exposure to many different real estate CRMs, and we’ve found the strongest offerings are from Follow Up Boss and Contactually,” Price says. “Follow Up Boss integrates with all of the common lead sources, and has great features for tracking and nurturing leads. Subscription plans begin at $103 per month for up to three agents. Contactually is less specific to real-estate, but is still remarkably powerful, with particularly strong mobile support.”
Price: Plans start at $103 per month.
Where to buy: www.followupboss.com